1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that adopts a time charging method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A copying machine that can be used by unspecified customers is set up in various types of stores such as a convenience store. A coin vendor or a prepaid card reading machine for charging is provided next to such a copying machine. A user previously pays the desired amount of money through the coin vendor or the prepaid card reading machine. Thus, it is possible to perform printing corresponding to the amount of money paid.
Since in such a number-of-sheet charging method, a charge is determined by the number of sheets printed, even when the same number of sheets are printed, a user who performs time-consuming printing increases the time during which the copying machine is occupied. Hence, for example, the subsequent user may give up the use of the copying machine because the user has been kept waiting for a long time. In this case, the manager who sets up the copying machine loses an opportunity to provide the copying machine.
On the other hand, there is a time charging method in which charging is performed according to the time during which the image forming apparatus is used. However, when charging is performed simply according to time, for example, a problem may occur in which the image forming apparatus does not operate as the user expects due to a paper jam or the like and thus the user is also charged for the time during which printing cannot be performed.
Hence, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-88312 discloses a control configuration in which a detection unit that detects whether or not it is possible to satisfactorily perform printing processing is provided within an image forming apparatus and in which an actual usage time is measured based on the result of the detection. With this control configuration, it is not necessary for a user to make an unreasonable payment, and it is also not necessary for a set-up manager to perform a time management operation for measuring and determining the time during which printing cannot be performed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-256175 proposes a control configuration in which a printing completion specified time or a completion time predicted through analysis of print data by an apparatus itself is compared with an actual completion time, and when the actual printing completion time is behind it, the charge is reduced. With this control configuration, it is possible to prevent a user from experiencing a disadvantage, and it is also possible to enhance convenience by providing notification to the user when the actual printing completion time is likely to be behind schedule.
However, in the conventional time charging method in which the charge is determined at the time of the completion of the use, though consideration is given to the present user, it may be inconvenient for the subsequent user. Specifically, while the previous customer is using the copying machine, it is impossible to find the scheduled completion time of the previous customer. Hence, since the subsequent customer does not find the waiting time, the subsequent customer needs to give up using the copying machine at that store or to come again to the store after a time which is guessed intuitively. The manager of the copying machine may lose an opportunity to provide the copying machine, and the copying machine may not be operated during the time for which the subsequent customer has come again to the store after the completion of the use by the previous customer.
Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which a time charging method is adopted and a use completion time is found.